Optimism does not translate into Detroit Pistons wins, says one expert

Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver (left) talks with assistant coach Rex KalamianCredit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver (left) talks with assistant coach Rex KalamianCredit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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One former NBA executive thinks the future of the Detroit Pistons is bright, while the present may not be so hot.

John Hollinger is a former Memphis Grizzlies executive who now writes for The Athletic ( PAID SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED). He has never been a major Pistons banner-waver but he did have nice things to saw about the club’s future in his preview of the team.

But he also kind of threw a bucket of cold water on Detroit’s potential to make the Play-in tournament this year.

Big point: Jerami Grant is not with Detroit Pistons anymore

Hollinger feels the loss of Olympic gold medal winner Jerami Grant in a trade with Portland has not been emphasized enough.

Yes, Grant missed a lot of time last season due to injury, only playing in 47 games. However, he was Detroit’s leading scorer at 19.2 points a game (which he upped to 20 points when playing with a healthy Cade Cunningham at the end of the season).

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Grant is also an elite defender. Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant requested he be added to the Olympic team when there was an opening due to his defensive prowess (and willingness to let Lillard and Durant take a lot of shots).

So the Pistons lost their top scorer and defender from last year and, as Hollinger pointed out, it is not like Detroit was a bad shooting team last year with him, and they were not that great on defense either, even with an elite defender in Grant.

Also, as much as the arrival of Bojan Bogdanovic has been hailed, if he is taking Grant’s place in the starting lineup (TBD), that is a downgrade on the defensive end.

The kids are alright, for next season

Hollinger likes both Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey but feels they will not life the team into contention as rookies. Even elite rookies usually do not turn franchises around.

Duren and Nerlens Noel from the Knicks will help Detroit with rim protection they did not have last season. Hollinger also pointed out that the Pistons fouled more than any other team in the NBA last year. If they don’t foul as much, that would also help lower the opponents’ point total.

With his lack of explosiveness, Hollinger is wondering if Cade Cunningham needs a scoring partner, like Jayson Tatum has Jaylen Brown on the Boston Celtics. We will know a lot more if the former No. 1 pick has a healthy sophomore season.

2 major dislikes

There were two things Hollinger referred to as ‘rakes to the face’ , moves by general manager Troy Weaver he disagreed with.

  • The whole Marvin Bagley III situation. Trading two draft picks for a guy you could sign later in free agency, and then giving him a three-year fully guaranteed contract for $37.5 million kind of mystified him because, well, the Pistons were probably bidding against themselves.
  • And Weaver’s penchant for loading up on centers kind of mystified him. In an outside shooting-centric league, Hollinger never quite got Weaver’s love of having a bunch of centers to start the season.

Related Story. Does Marvin Bagley III contract with Pistons look better now?. light

The future is bright for Pistons, not present

Overall, Hollinger was positive about the future. If the young players develop, the Pistons could be one of the dominant teams of the mid-2020s. But they will not break their streak of not winning a playoff game since 2008 this season.

In his opinion, the Pistons are too young, not strong enough with shooting and, while probably OK defensively, not good enough to carry a team.

Hie projects the Pistons finishing with a 28-54 record and coming in 13th in the East, three spots short of making the Play-in, and another trip to the draft lottery.

It is not a totally outrageous prediction, the current line in most betting parlors is an over/under of 28.5 wins.

Next. Detroit Pistons preseason getting national spotlight. dark

Obviously, beat writers who follow the team all the time might have a better handle on how the team looks, but it is sometimes beneficial to get an outsiders perspective.